Loaded Kale Hummus with Crispy Kale Chips

by sustainableholly | Oct 7, 2022 | Kitchen

Creamy hummus loaded with crispy kale chips and edible flowers, this is a great way to use up your excess Kale harvest. Perfect for entertaining, served with toasted bread, pitas, or spooned onto a salad wrap. If you’ve got kale growing like crazy in your winter garden, this one’s for you! This Loaded Kale Hummus is a fresh, vibrant twist on classic hummus and one of my favourite ways to use up a big harvest of leafy greens. It’s packed with flavour, rich in nutrients, and makes the perfect colourful addition to snack platters, wraps, grain bowls or a simple piece of sourdough.

Ingredients from the Garden

Kale: Use any variety you have! I often mix curly and Tuscan kale for colour and texture.
Fennel fronds: Optional but adds a soft, aniseed freshness.
Edible flowers: Calendula, viola, nasturtium, or blue cornflower all work beautifully for a colourful finish.

Easy Swaps

Swap chickpeas for white beans or lentils if you’re using what you’ve got on hand.
Add a little cumin, za’atar, or preserved lemon for extra flavour.
If you like heat, add fresh chilli on top!

Loaded Kale Hummus

Ingredients

Hummus

2 cups chopped Kale
1½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 can)
⅓ cup smooth tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
2-3 Roasted garlic cloves
6 tablespoons water, or as needed to blend

Crispy Kale Topping

2 cups chopped Kale
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp paprika or smokey seasoning
Edible flowers to serve*
Fennel fronds to serve
1/4 tsp chilli flakes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Wash and dry off Kale.
Add two cups of chopped Kale (approx 2cm square chunks) to a mixing bowl.
Add 1 TBSP oil and massage into the Kale. Sprinkle on the 1/4 tsp salt and the paprika and stir to combine. Add to a baking tray along with the whole cloves of garlic (unpeeled lightly coat in oil).
Bake until Kale is crispy (10minutes). Check if the garlic is soft and if not remove the kale and cook the garlic for a further few minutes.
Set the crispy kale aside in a bowl.
Add all the hummus ingredients into a mixer or blender including the roasted garlic (remove the peels first). Blitz to combine. Taste and add extra salt or lemon juice if needed.
Pour the hummus into a bowl and load up the crispy Kale chips on top. Sprinkle over edible flowers and optional chilli flakes and serve with warm toasted bread.

Notes

Edible flowers I used are: Onion flowers, pansies, calendula, cornflower, chrysanthemum, and nasturtium.
Toasted nuts and seeds would also be delicious additions.
Drizzle a little extra olive oil to serve.

Storing Kale Hummus

This hummus keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. The crispy kale topping is best enjoyed fresh, but you can make a fresh batch quickly if needed. You can also freeze the base hummus (without toppings) for up to 3 months, perfect for quick snacks or lunch prep.

Garden to Plate

If your kale is getting ahead of you this season, blanch and freeze chopped kale in small handfuls so you’re ready to make this hummus (or green smoothies, soups, etc.) anytime. You can also substitute other leafy greens like silverbeet, beet greens, or parsley if you’re harvesting those instead.

Happy gardening,

Holly 🌱